Jay Mariotti: Is His Career Officially Over With Word of New Charges?

Jay Mariotti is not out of hot water yet. According to the LA Times, Mariotti has been charged with seven misdemeanor counts, stemming from the domestic disturbance situation that he was involved in last month.

Fortunately for him, the prosecutors have said that because of a lack of evidence he won't be charged with more serious felony charges.

The charges include two counts of domestic violence with injury, two counts of domestic violence, one count of grand theft, one count of false imprisonment, and one count of vandalism.

If he were convicted of all of them, he would face up to seven years behind bars.

But even if he were to beat all the charges, where would his career be?

His Side

In an updated story from the LA Times, Mariotti gave his side, via his attorney Debra Wong Yang.

Ms. Yang said that her client was innocent and the alleged victim was "extremely intoxicated" and "abusive."

She continued by saying: "The allegations are inaccurate and sensationalized. We are confident that the facts will show that the complainant was extremely intoxicated that night and abusive toward Mr. Mariotti."

10. Credibility

Sportswriters such as Mariotti need credibility more than anything else. On the show Around the Horn (which I still haven't figured out how it is scored), he plays the role of blow hard amongst other blow hards and the winner is whomever blows the hardest.

On it, Mariotti seemed to really enjoy taking shots at athletes and or celebrities. He was holier than thou and now he isn't.

9. Likability

On ESPN's Around the Horn, Mariotti and Woody Page seemed to be the anchors that had the most "wins" and appearances.

But unlike the much more popular PTI (Pardon The Interruption), neither Page nor Mariotti come off as funny or likable. They yell their points at the host, Tony Reali, and he decides somehow who should move on.

So Mariotti didn't build up any favor to withstand something like this.

8. Burned Bridges

Before becoming one of the faces for ESPN, Mariotti wrote for the Chicago Sun-Times. But according to the Sun-Times Editor Michael Cooke, Mariotti sent him an email saying "I quit," out of the blue.

Cooke said Mariotti also made disparaging remarks of the "...place that cared for him, nurtured him, paid him well for 17 years."

Roger Ebert, the famous film critic who also works at the Sun-Times, wrote a letter to Mariotti in the paper calling him a rat and ended it by saying, "On your way out, don't let the door bang you on the ass."